Sysdig says the JadePuffer group used an autonomous AI agent to plan and execute an end-to-end ransomware campaign, adapting in real time, stealing credentials and encrypting data while exposing flaws in its financial understanding

Security researchers have identified what they say is the first documented case of a ransomware attack planned, managed and executed entirely by an autonomous AI agent, marking a potentially significant shift in the global cyber threat landscape.

The attack group, known as JadePuffer, used a large language model to manage every stage of the campaign, from initial intelligence gathering and credential theft to lateral movement inside the network, data encryption and the ransom demand, according to a report by cloud security company Sysdig.

The most concerning capability demonstrated in the attack, according to the report, was the AI agent’s flexibility and ability to adapt in real time. Like a skilled human hacker, the autonomous system was able to identify failures in its own actions and correct them quickly.

In one documented case, the system encountered a login error, analyzed the problem, changed the code parameters and produced a working solution within 31 seconds.

The initial breach was carried out by exploiting a known vulnerability, CVE-2025-3248, in Langflow, a popular open-source framework used to build AI applications. After gaining access, the AI agent scanned databases, extracted passwords and encryption keys, and began moving through the organization’s network toward production servers running Alibaba Nacos.

At that stage, the agent encrypted 1,342 service configuration items, deleted the originals and left behind a text file containing a ransom demand in Bitcoin and a contact address.

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